Fabio Capello believes that Arsenal were the better side in every aspect of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, but believes that ‘the most beautiful thing’ about the Gunners’ victory was their supporters.
Arsenal booked their spot in the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years thanks to their 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, which sealed a 2-1 aggregate scoreline.
Mikel Arteta’s side will go on to face the winner of the other semi-final taking place on Wednesday evening, between Bayern Munich and reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Capello was in the Sky Sport Italia studio for coverage of Tuesday night’s semi-final second leg between Arsenal and Atletico, and explained why he felt that Arsenal were the better side over the two legs.
“They were the more complete side with more personality,” Capello explained. “When they wanted to keep hold of possession, they did it, the same when they wanted to press. It was always Arsenal that had it in them.”
Fabio Capello (Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)
In the end, it was a tap-in from England international Bukayo Saka that sent Arsenal through to their first Champions League final since 2006.
“It was a nice goal, but it was a bit careless in defence on the rebound,” said Capello.
“But, the most beautiful thing for me was the crowd, who suffered until the very end and then got the chance to celebrate after 20 years.
The scheduling of the upcoming Derby della Capitale between Roma and Lazio in Serie A is still causing severe logistical issues, and the latest updates suggest that the game is ‘likely’ to be moved from its currently-proposed Sunday lunchtime kick-off slot.
Why is the time and date of Roma vs. Lazio causing so many issues?
Roma will host archrivals Lazio in the penultimate round of 2025-26 Serie A fixtures, and is currently scheduled to be played at 11.30 BST (12.30 CET) on Sunday, May 17.
Maurizio Sarri has recently claimed “it is an insult to the city of Rome” to play the derby on a Sunday lunchtime, suggested that whoever came up with the idea should resign and added: “Ask the Lega Serie A why they didn’t make Inter and Milan play at that time.”
There are several reasons, however, why the league originally decided to play the game at 12.30 local time on a Sunday afternoon.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 13: Jannik Sinner of Italy poses with the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy following his victory against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the Gentlemen’s Singles Final on day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
This is a safety concern and also presents an issue in terms of police and security resources. The regular main entrance to the Curva Sud side of the Stadio Olimpico will be blocked off for football supporters in order to allow access to the tennis stadium for the Italian Open.
This was already an issue when the final of the Italian Open clashed with the Lazio vs. Juventus match at the end of last season, and is only expected to intensify given the heated rivalry between Roma and Lazio and the history of clashes between supporters.
As a result of the previous fan trouble around the Derby della Capitale, the suggestion of playing the game late in the evening has already been ruled out. Any later than lunchtime on Sunday afternoon, and there will be a direct clash with the Italian Open final. The game cannot be played on the Saturday either, as it is too close to Lazio’s Coppa Italia final against Inter, which is being held a few days before on Wednesday, May 13.
And, with growing pressure from local authorities to ensure both the derby and the Italian open final run as smoothly as possible, there have been calls to move the Roma vs. Lazio match to Monday, May 18 instead, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 21: Angelino of AS Roma shoots while put under pressure by Adam Marusic of Lazio during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico on September 21, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
The added complication in this scenario, however, is that Roma are one of several sides still competing for a Champions League spot. And, given that the 37th round of Serie A fixtures could be the decisive week in the race for the Champions League, all games involving teams that are still in the fight for the top four must be played at the same to ensure competitive fairness.
So, if Roma vs. Lazio is moved to the Monday evening, then Genoa vs. Milan, Juventus vs. Fiorentina, Como vs. Parma and potentially Pisa vs. Napoli and even Atalanta vs. Bologna might have to be played then as well.
For now, the situation remains unsettled. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, a definitive decision is likely to be made after the completion of the 36th round of Serie A fixtures coming up this weekend, when the Champions League picture may begin to start looking a bit clearer.
Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli says that he is ‘angry’ at the yellow card he received for simulation over the weekend, and says that Juventus need more ‘nastiness’ and to be more clinical in front of goal if they are to return to the Champions League next season.
Locatelli on Juventus 1-1 Verona, call for ruthlessness and yellow card for diving
Juventus remain locked in a battle with Roma and Como for a spot in next season’s Champions League. The Bianconeri occupy fourth spot on 65 points, Roma trail by one point and Como trail by three heading into the final three matches of the 2025-26 season.
The gap between Juventus and Roma narrowed over the weekend, following a 1-1 draw between the Bianconeri and Hellas Verona and a 4-0 victory for the Giallorossi against Fiorentina on Monday night.
Whilst there is only one point separating Juventus and Roma, Locatelli says there is comfort to be taken from the fact that the race is still in Juve’s control. He urges his teammates to be more ruthless heading into the final stretch, though.
“I think we lack a bit of competitive nastiness in certain moments,” Locatelli told reporters at the launch event of Juve’s Strength of Stories podcast series.
TURIN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 16: Manuel Locatelli and Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus celebrates after Lloyd Kelly (not pictured) scores his team’s fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund at Juventus Stadium on September 16, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
“We have to try to score when games are still open. Being clinical in front of goal helps us. The coach told us, we need a pinch of extra nastiness.
The Bianconeri skipper insists that he is not distracted by the ‘pressure’ that some suggest is burdening the players heading into the final few matches of the season.
“As I’ve always said, it’s a familiar concept in football, we’re used to this sort of pressure. The important thing is that it all still depends on us. We have to play these next few games with maturity. We’re trying, but we lack that wickedness.”
Locatelli does not deny the fact that Juve were not at their best during their 1-1 draw with Verona, though: “As I’ve said, it still depends on us. We can’t be happy with the game we played against Verona.”
TURIN, ITALY – APRIL 19: Manuel Locatelli of Juventus applauds the fans following his side’s victory in the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Bologna FC 1909 at Allianz Stadium on April 19, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Locatelli also took a moment to criticise the decision to show him a yellow card for simulation during the Verona draw.
When asked how frustrated he was, he replied: “Very. I got angry. I don’t usually talk about referees, I don’t like that, but he can’t give me a yellow there. I was nervous, which is why I made a mistake, but I don’t dive. You can’t dive with VAR, there’s no point in giving me the yellow card.”
Reports in Italy claim that there have been five meetings between Juventus and the entourage of striker Dusan Vlahovic in an attempt to come to an agreement over a new contract, but the parties are not yet aligned on figures, and most importantly, commission fees.
Report: Juventus and Vlahovic camp haggling over commission fees
Vlahovic is into the final two months of his Juventus contract and could potentially walk away from the Allianz Stadium for free at the end of June. He is earning a net salary of €12m on the final year of his Juventus deal, which makes him the highest-paid player in the division by some distance.
Despite a 2025-26 season that has been heavily impacted by injuries, Juventus are still keen to tie Vlahovic down to a new deal, particularly knowing that he could potentially go on and join a direct league rival if his contract is allowed to expire next month. Milan and Bundesliga side Bayern Munich are both said to be interested.
However, according to the latest updates from La Gazzetta dello Sport, there have now been five meetings between Juventus and Vlahovic’s camp, led by the striker’s father, Milos, but there is still no agreement over a new deal in place.
TURIN, ITALY – MAY 03: Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus FC celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Hellas Verona FC at Allianz Stadium on May 3, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Vlahovic has reportedly ‘opened up’ to the idea of signing a relatively short-term contract, potentially for two years. La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that a reduction of salary is not out of the question either, potentially to a contract ‘a la Yildiz’ i.e. for €6m-€7m per year.
However, there are still issues relating to ancillary costs, i.e. commission fees and signing bonuses according to Tuesday’s reports.
Reports in Italy claim that Barcelona have been left ‘disappointed’ by the fact that a potential deal for Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni seems to be fading away, but there are also suggestions that the financially-troubled LaLiga giants should priorities the signing of a new striker rather than a new defender.
Why Bastoni’s move to Barcelona is beginning to look unlikely
For several weeks, reports in Spain and Italy have linked Barcelona with a summer move for Italy international Bastoni, who was part of the squad that celebrated Inter’s 21st Serie A title over the weekend.
MILAN, ITALY – MAY 03: Alessandro Bastoni of FC Internazionale Milano celebrates after being confirmed as Serie A champions following victory in the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Parma Calcio 1913 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 03, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Nerazzurri President Beppe Marotta has recently admitted: “I won’t deny there is interest from Barcelona (in Bastoni), but nothing concrete yet.”
However, according to the latest updates from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Barcelona’s interest in the left-sided defender is now beginning to fade away.
There are several reasons for this, but perhaps most importantly is the player’s apparent unwillingness to leave San Siro this summer.
La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Inter value Bastoni in the region of €70m, but Barcelona had believed that they would be able to negotiate a discounted fee closer to €50m. In order for that to happen, though, they would have needed for Bastoni to express his desire to leave for Barcelona, thus forcing Inter’s hand into a sale.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, this has not happened, and the Nerazzurri have no intention of letting Bastoni go for a cut-price fee.
Whether a €50m or a €70m fee, it is still a significant investment for a club who continue to feel the impact of LaLiga’s strict financial rules. As a result of their recent financial troubles, the only new, permanent signings that Barcelona have been able to complete over the last two seasons have been Dani Olmo in a €58m deal, Joan Garcia in a €27m deal and youngster Roony Bardghji in a €2m deal.
Given that it has practically been a case of one new first-team signing per summer for Barcelona over the last two years, La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that Bastoni would not be the best use of available funds during the upcoming transfer window.
BARCELONA, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 07: Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and RCD Mallorca at Spotify Camp Nou on February 07, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)
That is because Barcelona will likely need a new striker too, as the high-earning Robert Lewandowski, 37, is likely to leave the club this summer, which leaves Hansi Flick with a big gap to fill at centre-forward, which would likely be Barcelona’s priority rather than the signing of a luxury centre-back.
Riccardo Calafiori and Matteo Ruggeri are both in the starting line-ups as Arsenal host Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League final on Tuesday evening.
Arsenal and Atletico are level at 1-1 at the halfway stage of their Champions League semi-final after goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvaerz, both from the penalty spot, at the Metropolitano last week.
Tonight’s second leg will kick off at 20.00 BST.
Calafiori keeps his place in the Arsenal starting XI after a stellar performance against Fulham in the Premier League over the weekend. The Italy international was denied his first goal at The Emirates after a late VAR review on Saturday.
The former Roma and Bologna defender had missed four matches across all competitions with a knock leading up to the first leg of this tie, and was left on the bench for the opening game last week. This is the first time since December that Calafiori has started two games in a row for Arsenal.
LEEDS, ENGLAND – JANUARY 31: Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Leeds United and Arsenal at Elland Road on January 31, 2026 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Ruggeri also keeps his place at left-back in the Atletico Madrid line-up. The former Atalanta wing-back has started in 12 of Atleti’s 15 Champions League outings this term and was one of several key players that Diego Simeone decided to rest for the LaLiga match against Valencia over the weekend.
Former Atalanta star Ademola Lookman also starts for Atletico, and former Dea goalkeeper Juan Musso is named among Simeone’s substitutes.
Arsenal vs. Atletico Madrid: Confirmed line-ups
MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 14: Matteo Ruggeri of Atletico de Madrid reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between Club Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on April 14, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Massimiliano Allegri says that he understands his fan’s frustrations, but has urged for calm after watching his Milan side fall to a disappointing 2-0 defeat away against Sassuolo on Sunday afternoon.
The Rossoneri conceded within the first few minutes of both halves; Domenico Berardi finding the net after five minutes and Armand Lauriente after 47, which means that they have now won just one of their last five matches in Serie A. Now, the Rossoneri could potentially slip down to fourth place by the end of Sunday evening.
Allegri responds after Sassuolo 2-0 Milan: ‘We approached both halves badly’
“We approached both halves badly, especially the second. We threw it away, that’s how it’s going in this period. You can’t waste 10 months of work. Now we have to think about Atalanta,” said Allegri in a post-match interview with DAZN (via TMW).
SASSUOLO, ITALY – MAY 03: Massimiliano Allegri,Head Coach of AC Milan reacts during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on May 03, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)
“Technically, we made a lot of mistakes. It was a bad day, a bad Sunday. We have to meet again on Tuesday and work to fix it.”
Despite the fact that Milan have not yet secured a Champions League spot for next season, Allegri has no doubt that the Rossoneri will finish the 2025-26 season in the all-important top four.
“It’s not at risk. I would be very happy to confirm it on the final day as well, I’ve always said it. I am with the team every day and this is a difficult moment. We have to stay calm and take responsibility, we have to prepare as best we can for the game against Atalanta.
“We’ve done 10 months of good work, we’re in the final stretch. We haven’t done very well in the second half of the season, we can’t change that anymore. We just have to look ahead.
“Until the end, we have to stay grounded and work to overcome these moments of difficulty. I understand the fans, we all wanted to get over the finish line quickly, but we can’t get anxious.”
SASSUOLO, ITALY – MAY 03: Fabio Maresca, referee of the match shows a red card to Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on May 03, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)
Allegri does not deny the fact that the sending off of Fikayo Tomori after 24 minutes had a big impact on proceedings, but didn’t appear too critical of his centre-back, despite his two early yellow cards.
“The sending off conditioned the game. These things happen. The important thing is to get back up quickly. We need two positive results to get into the Champions League, let’s just think about that.”
Allegri was also asked why he decided to take off Christopher Nkunku for Zachary Athekame at the half-time interval.
“I wanted to take the game forward as much as possible and give some balance, but it didn’t help because we immediately conceded.”
It was an afternoon to forget for Milan, who fell to a 2-0 defeat away against Sassuolo in Serie A on Sunday, and were then loudly booed by their travelling supporters in an awkward moment after the full-time whistle.
What happened after full-time of Sassuolo 2-0 Milan?
An early strike from Domenico Berardi was followed by a goal from Armand Lauriente to send Sassuolo 2-0 up against Milan, who had been playing with 10 men since the 24th minute after Fikayo Tomori was sent off for two yellow card offences.
SASSUOLO, ITALY – MAY 03: Armand Laurienté of US Sassuolo celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on May 03, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)
It has been a disappointing end to the 2025-26 season for Milan, who have only picked up four points from their last five matches, falling to defeats against Sassuolo, Udinese and Napoli over that period.
Now, the Rossoneri could end the weekend in fourth place if Juventus win against the already-relegated Hellas Verona later on Sunday evening.
SASSUOLO, ITALY – MAY 03: Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan reacts after Fabio Maresca, referee of the match shows to hi a red card during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on May 03, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)
Milan supporters made their frustrations clear after the Sassuolo defeat. The Rossoneri players did not go and thank their supporters in front of the stand, instead staying in the centre circle while being loudly jeered from a distance.
Sky Sport Italia reports that captain Mike Maignan began to lead his players over to the stand to applaud their supporters, but then began to head towards the dressing rooms upon hearing the boos, which only made the reception worse.
Milan will have an opportunity to respond next Sunday when they host Atalanta in San Siro. Then come tests against Genoa and Cagliari to close the 2025-26 campaign.
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